Type: Trad, Aid, Alpine, 500 ft (152 m), 4 pitches
FA: Mark Ward & Randy Wright, 1978
Page Views: 3,727 total · 22/month
Shared By: mountainsense on Aug 8, 2010
Admins: Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

Established during the year of my birth, the Wonderwall is the strikingly obvious line that avoids the Summit Wall's lower-angle, patina faces and--instead--tackles the most prominent of the steeper, white faces characteristic of the formation's more southerly aspects. A tremendous and a visionary achievement, the Wonderwall combines quality stone and--perhaps--some of the most exposed positions in the cirque with, at times, "heads up" technical climbing, all in a remote setting. For those in search of summer alpine adventure in the Wasatch, check out this seldom-done classic. If--and when--this one goes free, it will surely rival the Question Mark Wall's Beckey Route (FFA: Merrill Bitter, Stuart Ruckman) as the modern Cirque testpiece.

Location Suggest change

Wonderwall shares much of its first pitch with the George Lowe classic, the Undone Book. Climb the initial corner past the right-trending undercling that leads into the Open Book, then into the bouldery, left-leaning lieback-undercling that marks the beginning of the Undone--this gains the prominent, right-facing corner system. Once established in the corner, patina jugs along the arete lead to a small, sloping stance--this is where, according to the Ruckmans' topo, the two lines diverge; the Undone Book continues straight up, and the Wonderwall trends rightwards*, toward the arete.

Protection Suggest change

In terms of iron, bring along several, shorter KBs, cam hooks and beaks--the new Moses RH Tomahawks worked particularly well here, due to the route's ever-present lean. Offset brass HBs and Peenuts proved extremely useful; in addition, we brought gear to 2.5" with doubles in #2-4 Metolius. All but the second, "killer" belay--atop the ledge--require gear for anchors.

Photos

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